The traveling manatees by Nancy French: San Juan and Culebra, Puerto Rico

Beachfront to the east our of hotel at Isla Verde

A few months ago, we realized our Jet Blue travel credits were about to expire. Our plans to travel to Cuba in the spring of 2020 had been canceled (along with the plans for millions of others) as Covid-19 swept around the world and shut down virtually all travel. Rather than reschedule Cuba, we decided to return to Puerto Rico. In addition to our free flight, we had a number of free Marriot hotel nights that had accumulated over the past 2 years, so this was going to be a relatively inexpensive trip.

Our last visit to the island had been in February 2016. In September 2017, Puerto Rico was devastated by back-to-back hurricanes Irma and Maria. The island suffered catastrophic damage to all basic systems. 100% of the power grid was offline, safe drinking water was unavailable, and many waste treatment plants were inoperable. While substantial repairs to infrastructure have been completed, a great deal of work still needs to be done. The island has suffered from a decades-long financial crisis which has been aggravated further by the Covid-19 pandemic. With the restrictions on travel loosening, tourists are returning to Puerto Rico in swarms from the US mainland. Our plane was full to capacity.

Arriving at the Luis Muñoz Marín Int. Airport in San Juan, we were whisked away to the nearby Marriot Isla Verde with our prearranged driver, Jose. Located on the outskirts of San Juan, our only plan for this stop was to hang out beachside. The weather was perfect, sunny but mild with a delightful breeze and despite our sunscreen, nine hours in the sun, even under our canopy, was definitely not a good idea.

Though plans for snorkeling can be arranged on the big island, we wanted to return to the nearby island of Culebra. Roughly an hour's drive

Snorkeling at Melones Beach

to the new ferry terminal in Ceiba, Jose once again picked us up and delivered us to the ferry. Departing on the 10:30 vessel, we were able to settle in our new accommodations by early afternoon and start exploring the island in our rented golf cart. Initially, planning on a return to the fabulous Flamenco Beach, we were disappointed to learn that the entire beach and parking area was closed and would be for the duration of our stay. Reasons for the closure varied depending on who was providing the story, but the bottom line was that the only public beach on the island with amenities was not open.

Over the next three days, we returned to a few of our previous favorite snorkeling spots.

Starting with Melones Beach, overlooking the Luis Peña Natural Reserve, we were the only snorkelers in the water. Soft and hard corals appeared to have been minimally impacted by the storms but unlike our previous visit only a handful of tropical fish showed up during our swim.

Visiting Punta Soldado, we were disappointed to find the water full of seaweed and not snorkeling friendly. However, following a visit to a local snorkel shop we learned that we needed to travel about a quarter mile further to the end of the road on the southwest side of the point to find the clear waters. Extensive damage to the coral was evident here, but young, new growth was widespread, so hopefully, over time this area will recover. Water mampoo trees provided shade and a couple of deserted beach chairs created an ideal spot to enjoy the beautiful views.

At Tamarindo Beach

Known for its calm waters, the following day we headed to Tamarindo Beach. Corals we had seen on our previous visit were gone, but seagrass beds were lush and numerous turtles and a couple of manta rays were the highlights of this snorkel.

Zoni Beach on the northeast side of the island was our next outing. Not known for snorkeling, the white sand beach and turquoise water provide a lovely place for a walk or just for relaxing or picnicking. Still sunburned from our first days in San Juan, we were grateful for the shade trees near the water’s edge. As with all the beaches (except the closed Flamenco Beach), the only amenity provided is parking. This happened to be the most crowded beach we visited, with perhaps a dozen people spread over the miles-long beach.

Covid-19 restrictions on Culebra and in San Juan were mixed. Masks were required on our ferry trip and the grocery stores also

Along Zoni Beach

required masks. The small store on Culebra was well-stocked but only allowed about 4 customers at a time. They provided a sink outside for washing your hands and then had hand sanitizers inside the door which must be used as well. Most small businesses did not post any restrictions, though the coffee shop near our lodging required a mask and only allowed 2 people at a time to enter. When making our reservations on Culebra in March, I had been told that restaurants were just starting to reopen. Luckily, the Palmetto Guesthouse had a small kitchen and that became important for a number of our meals. We had no hot water and the jalousie windows in our room would not close, which seemed to allow the roosters crowing at dawn to be in the room with us, but the air conditioner worked well and though our room was small it was clean. Perhaps only 6-8 restaurants on Culebra were open and they were frequently overcrowded and apparently understaffed. However, we enjoyed wonderful, grilled whole snapper and pina coladas one night at Mamacitas and another fine dinner at the Dighny Dock overlooking the water another evening. Some restaurants were only open Friday and Saturday.

View along the Malecon

On our return to Ceiba, Jose transported us to the Courtyard Miramar near Old San Juan. Spending literally hours walking, we were able to explore many areas that we had not seen on our previous visits. Galleries, gift shops, restaurants, and food trucks near the water were open, even on Mother’s Day, when we assumed the city would shut down. Stores and sidewalks were busy in the shopping district. However, the Malecon, the major waterfront boardwalk that wraps around the historic district, was relatively deserted and the views were gorgeous.

With the heat index peaking at 95 degrees, the hottest by far that we had experienced on this visit, we closed out our day with a poolside margarita, a perfect ending to our visit. The next morning, we began the journey back home. Plans for the summer are uncertain, but if we travel, I’ll be sure to bring you along for the trip.